


Those Who Matter Don't Mind

by CavalierRick



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, asexual timothy lawrence, i have no idea how to tag this, jack is a supportive brother, maybe emotional hurt comfort but idk??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 16:52:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17247890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavalierRick/pseuds/CavalierRick
Summary: Tim has been feeling self conscious about his orientation for a long time, and when Jack finds out, Tim can't help but be worried how his brother might respond. To his relief, though, Jack is there to support him no matter what.





	Those Who Matter Don't Mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Melachontony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melachontony/gifts).



> aYYYY <3 my gift to david, a wonderful friend and an exceptionally precious bean :3 u are a very valid young man  
> that title really kills me idk what the shit to call this so there u go

As soon as Tim walks in the door, Jack knows something is wrong. His brother falls onto the couch with a heavy sigh, not even bothering to take his shoes off and instead simply collapsing into the cushions. He covers his face with his arms as soon as Jack comes into the living room, letting out a groan, obviously not wanting to talk to his brother.

“Hey kiddo,” Jack chimed out, unable to keep himself from smirking. “How'd your date go?”

“Fuck off, Jack.”

The answer gives the older man pause, frowning at it. He had known that it hadn't gone _well_ by the way Tim was acting the moment he saw him, but he didn't expect it was this bad. He sits down and situates him on the floor in front of the couch, making it basically impossible for his brother to ignore him. “C'mon, Timmy, you know you can talk to me about it, right? Obviously something happened that's got ya upset.” He pauses though his brother doesn't respond. “What, was he not as pretty as the pictures let on?”

“Not everyone is as shallow as you, _Jack_.” Tim finally turns to look at his brother, scowling, though there's no venom behind his words and he instead sounds... exhausted, almost. “No,” he sighs after a moment, “he looked just like his profile pictures.” He huffed in annoyance and turned over so that he was on his side, facing towards the back of the couch so he didn't have to meet eyes with his brother.

Jack lets out a little groan, nudging the younger man in the back. “Dude, just spit it out. You know, I think that I know more about dating than you do, so I've got a lotta advice. I mean I know you're not all that much like me when it comes to that kinda thing but--”

Tim sits up suddenly and turns to look at Jack, a deep frown on his face and his eyes brimming with tears. “No, we're _nothing_ alike!” He presses his hands to his forehead in exasperation, heaving a deep breath. “He and I wanted different things out of the relationship, okay? He wanted sex and I don't. That's it! I don't fucking want to have sex! Why can't people just _accept_ that!?” By the time Tim finishes speaking, he's nearly sobbing, pulling his knees up to his chest and hiding his face in his arms.

For a moment, Jack sits there in silence, stunned. It takes him a minute to fully recover from the shock, not used to seeing Tim break down so severely, but after a short while he gets up to sit down on the couch beside his brother. Tim actually flinches a bit when Jack lays a hand on his shoulder, clearly not having expected it, but he relaxes ever so slightly after a moment.

“Deep breaths, kiddo,” Jack soothes, rubbing slow circles over Tim's back. “Try to relax a little and talk to me, huh? It's gonna be alright.”

Tim sniffles a bit, lifting his head and following Jack's advice, taking slow breaths in and out, “It isn't _alright_ , Jack,” he mumbles, voice weak and shaky. “Do you have any idea how many people just want to use me for sex and don't give a shit about me as a person?”

“It's the curse of being beautiful,” Jack quips, though the frown of annoyance Tim shoots him draws an almost shy little 'sorry' out of him. The two can't help but share a little laugh at that, though, and Jack is glad to set his brother at east just for a moment. “Though, uh... yeah, I can imagine. A lotta people are like that, especially on those shitty dating sites you use. And going to a bar? _God._ Half the people there are just looking to get their dick wet.”

The younger man wrinkles his nose at that. “Yep,” he huffs in response, crossing his arms over his chest. “I mean, it isn't that I mind that people do stuff like that, really. That's their prerogative, and if that's what makes them happy then so be it. It's just when people are like that with me that it's... painful. People always seem to be so mad when I let them down...”

“'Let them down?'” Jack echos. “I hardly think that being honest about what you want in a relationship is 'letting someone down.'” He wraps his arm around his brother's shoulders and gives him a friendly little shake. “Maybe you should discuss that with them _before_ the date, though?”

“Maybe,” Tim acquiesces, “but it's something that I think's more suited to being said in person, yknow? I mean, it's on my profile that I'm seeking a _romantic_ relationship but...”

The younger twin trails off suddenly, hiding his face again and starting to shake as little sobs overtake him. “Jack, something's _wrong_ with me,” he whimpers out. “Everyone else wants sex, but I _don't_! I'm _broken_.”

The older of the two can't help but scowl. “Who the hell told you that, Tim? I'll kick their fucking ass for you.”

“No one told me that, Jack, not in so many words at least. It's just... true.”

At that, Jack seems to truly switch into his 'serious older brother mode,' getting up off of the couch and sitting down on the coffee table so that he's sitting directly in front of Timothy, putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder and looking his brother in the eyes as the younger man raises his head in something akin to surprise. “You are _not_ broken,” he says simply, his tone sincere. “If you don't want sex, that's fine. You aren't the only person who doesn't, Timmy. A lot of people don't, for one reason or another. There isn't anything wrong with that.” He fluffs the younger man's hair lovingly, glad to see a smile cross his brother's face. “If people don't respect that, then fuck 'em.” He pauses for a moment, and without even having to make the comment 'not literally,' the two both break down into laughter.

“Thank you,” Tim says weakly once he recovers from the little laughing fit, unable to deny that his brother's words of encouragement have helped him relax more than he had been counting on. “I didn't really expect that out of you,” he admits, looking away as if embarrassed. “I mean, I know you've always been supportive of me and all, but, well... You just seem so obsessed with sex that I kind of assumed, yknow.. that you might agree with me that I'm... broken.” He starts to trail off, self conscious, but Jack doesn't seem to mind.

“Hey, I've got your back, kiddo,” Jack assures him. “You're my brother, and that's way more important to me than who you want to have sex with-- or not, in this case. And hell, you were supportive of me when I came out to you as pansexual, so why wouldn't I be supportive of you now? I see no difference, in a way.”

Tim can't help but snicker. “You wanna have sex with everybody and I don't want to have sex with anybody,” he jokes. “What a pair we make, huh?”

The older man can't help but choke in a laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But really, it isn't all that different of a situation. We're both in the same boat; some people-- the ignorant, stupid ones-- see us as being 'abnormal,' but I've got some news for ya.” He fluffs his brother's hair again, unable to hold back a laugh. “The people who mind don't matter, and the people who matter don't mind.”

The younger brother can't help but roll his eyes as he hears his brother's words, the saying so cheesy that he can't help but grimace a little. “Okay, okay, I know you're right,” he admits. “It's just hard not to feel that way. It's less about how other people see it and more that I see _myself_ that way, honestly. It's just that the way other people respond to it makes it harder not to feel like shit about myself.”

Jack huffs, giving Tim a look which quite obviously translates to a silent 'really?' “C'mon, kiddo, you realize you're way too hard on yourself, right? Sometimes our brains lie to us and all. Like how I get all paranoid and get scared outta my mind that people are gonna betray me, even when there's no proof of it. You can't always trust the way you feel about yourself, because sometimes feelings are misleading.”

“I know,” Tim groans, only having heard these same points a million times, and as cogent as they are he can't help but be a bit annoyed hearing it all over again. He gives Jack a little smile, suddenly leaning in to wrap his arms around his brother. “Thank you, Jack,” he breathes, almost too quiet to be heard. “I guess I just need to be reminded of that sometimes. I wish I could internalize that and get used to believing it, but...”

“That's what you've got me for, kid,” the older man chimes, pulling away to grin at his brother. “I'll always be here to remind you that you've got someone on your side.”

 


End file.
